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Kershaw, Kemp, Ethier win Gold Gloves

Kershaw, Kemp, Ethier win Gold Gloves

Congratulations to Clayton Kershaw, Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp for winning the 2011 Rawlings Gold Glove Award for their positions

By Ken Gurnick
/
MLB.com |

LOS ANGELES -- Outfielders Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier and starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw gave the Dodgers three National League Gold Glove winners for the first time in franchise history Tuesday night.

In the first nationally televised announcement of the honors for the best defensive players in Major League Baseball, Kemp was named the top NL center fielder, his second Gold Glove after having won in 2009. It was the first Gold Glove for Ethier and Kershaw.

Kemp beat out fellow finalists Shane Victorino of Philadelphia and Chris Young of Arizona, while Ethier outpolled right fielders Carlos Beltran of the Mets and Giants and Jay Bruce of the Reds. Kershaw finished ahead of teammate Hiroki Kuroda and Kyle Lohse of St. Louis on the mound. It was also the first time sponsor Rawlings listed three finalists per position. The awards were voted upon by managers and coaches.

Since the season ended, Kemp and Kershaw have been cleaning up on awards. It started before the season even ended when Kemp was voted by teammates as winner of the Roy Campanella Award, which goes to the Dodger who best exemplifies the spirit and leadership of the late Hall of Famer.

NL GOLD GLOVE WINNERS

The National League winners of the Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, with the number of Gold Gloves each has won.

POS.

PLAYER

NO.

C

Yadier Molina, Cardinals

4

1B

Joey Votto, Reds

1

2B

Brandon Phillips, Reds

3

3B

Placido Polanco, Phillies

3

SS

Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies

2

LF

Gerardo Parra, D-backs

1

CF

Matt Kemp, Dodgers

2

RF

Andre Ethier, Dodgers

1

P

Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers

1

Kemp has since received the Hank Aaron Award as the most outstanding offensive player in the NL, the Baseball America Player of the Year and the NL Stan Musial Award, presented by the Baseball Bloggers Alliance. He was named a finalist for the Players Choice outstanding player in the NL and was named to The Sporting News NL All-Star team.

Kershaw, meanwhile, was named winner of the Warren Spahn Award as the best left-handed pitcher in MLB, was named a finalist for the Players Choice outstanding pitcher in the NL, was named to The Sporting News NL All-Star team and was a finalist for the Roberto Clemente Award.

"It's awesome," said Kershaw. "I never expected to win; to hear my name called, I was surprised. Greg Maddux won 18 of these. It's special to be around in his company. I expect other guys to win, I guess."

Kershaw could be the second Dodger to pull a Gold Glove-Cy Young double (Orel Hershiser is the other).

"I'm anxious to hear who wins," he said. "At the same time, it's out of my control. It would be a huge honor to get the award."

Kershaw, a Dallas native, attended Game 5 of the World Series.

"It's all Ranger fever here," he said. "It was fun to see this town and it makes you remember what you play for."

Ethier said playing through the right knee injury that required September arthroscopic surgery might have helped his defense because it "made me conscious to be more precise and not take unnecessary risks."

He said winning the Gold Glove "feels better" than winning a Silver Slugger Award two years ago because "no one ever said I was a good defender before. They always said I'm a good hitter, so this means a little more."

Nonetheless, he said this was "a little bit of a shock" because he was unaware the rules changed so awards would be presented by specific outfield position. He also said that because he doesn't have the kind of speed to make up for mistakes, he's become "more diligent" to properly read balls off the bat to get good jumps.

"It doesn't hurt to have another Gold Glove guy [in Kemp] to take the gap," he said. "I only worry about the lines."

Kemp is one of three Dodgers center fielders to capture the honor, along with Willie Davis (three times) and Steve Finley. Ethier joins Raul Mondesi (twice) as the only Dodgers right fielders to win Gold Gloves. Kershaw joins Maddux (twice), Hershiser, Fernando Valenzuela and Andy Messersmith (twice) as Dodgers pitchers with Gold Gloves.

Dodgers first baseman James Loney also was a finalist at his position, which the Reds' Joey Votto won.

Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.